As the weather’s chill reaches us, and we become grateful for all means of warmth, let us extend a hand of some ‘kind gesture’ to less fortunate suffering without a place to lay their heads. Men and women who are out in the cold winds, hoping to get a chance to sleep somewhere safe each night, have to opt for slight refuge of coffee at 5:30 a.m. instead; a dire need in our communities is a housing shelter with limitations that meet their needs, into a secure situation of life. There are some who are ‘graced’ with welfare benefits, yet still sleep in the streets, or agonize forcing themselves to stay awake inside of places where mercy is silently granted, because of limitations not matching the needs; just when steps are achieved for help, the bottom falls out for them, and God is watching. There are so many beautiful buildings rising to advancement of community growth in our areas, yet 1 and 2 bedroom apartments needed for homeless people are still so rare. Do we have enough thought of faith in God, of kindness to avail more dwellings to the ‘real poor’ in the communities of Hudson County? Believe me, developers won’t go broke if a few more apartments are filled with the real poor. I’ve seen and have felt the ‘strive to survive’ in doing without, and share in the grasping for ideas of how to keep a warm roof over head, especially in the cold weather; so I hope and pray, putting my thoughts and actions to positive works of survival, not just for 21 days allotted in a shelter, or 45 days granted, when at least 90 days will help meet the need, but for limitations to change, and mercy extended from the heart.

I give thought to a little girl I know who is homeless with her mother; what is this little child going through in her mind, as she tackles one day after another? At 4 yrs. old, momma, having a mail box key is important, yet why doesn’t she have one? Head Start is denied her, because of no permanent address. These are problems of the homeless, aside of wind-chill factor before the relief van drives up for 5:30 a.m. coffee. I no longer relish sleep, having tasted homelessness; it is strong survival in the warmer weather, and heart wrenching in the cold of winter. How beautiful Hudson County has become over the past couple of decades, yet the lacking continues, even for welfare recipients; there is still lack of extending apartments of affordable means to people who are getting help. Hearts survive in steps of faith, yet if rugs continue being pulled out from under foot, value of Life gets pushed aside, and then, be rest assured, an account will be made for souls. The strong survive in extending kindness of loves’ need being met.